the way to avoid the fiscal cliff has been right in the face of the republican leaders, both mcconnell and baron --, boehner for days and days and days going into weeks and months and it's the only option that is a viable escape route. that's the senate-passed bill. it wouldn't hard to pass, i've talked about that at some length. every democrat in the house would vote for it, a handful of republicans would vote for it. that's all that would be nominee needed. but, mr. president, grover norquist is standing in the way of this. not the rich people. but grover norquist. the man who says what the republicans can do. so i say to the speaker, take the escape hatch that we've left you. put the economic fate of the nation heafd your own fate as speaker of the house. millions of middle-class families are nervously watching and counting down the moments until their taxes go up. nothing can move forward in regards to our budget crisis unless speaker boehner and leader mcconnell are willing to participate in coming up with a bipartisan plan. speaker boehner is unwilling to negotiate, we have we've